Few would quibble with the view expressed by the Taoiseach when he said that racism poses a threat which, if unchallenged, could undermine the very fabric of our society. Our own experience of emigration and of division on this island, Mr Ahern said, would suggest we should have a well-developed sense of justice and equality and an aversion to prejudice, no matter what form it took, as he marked International Day Against Racism. Unfortunately, such does not appear to be the case. The evidence available indicates an unhealthy attitude by a sizeable proportion of the population towards asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers. And a failure by the Government to take early and positive action to address the issues arising from a sudden and unexpected influx of refugees has contributed to that unhappy situation.
The Taoiseach's speech is welcome evidence of official recognition that racism must be challenged and defeated if this State is to develop into a tolerant, multicultural society. In that regard, Ireland's ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is a positive development. And recent pieces of legislation, such as the Employment Equality Act and the Equal Status Act can be used to vindicate the rights of individuals. An anti-racism training video has been produced for the Garda Siochana. A cross-border initiative has produced an activity pack for schools which deals with racism and interculturalism. And a Government sponsored, three-year anti-racism programme will shortly get under way.
It cannot happen soon enough. A worrying situation has been identified as a result of a survey conducted by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia. It found the "actively tolerant" section of our society - towards minorities and migrant groups - to be considerably smaller than the EU average. The Irish figure was 15 per cent, compared to a European average of 21 per cent and 32 per cent in Britain. Our level of intolerance, on the other hand, stood at 13 per cent, marginally below the European average of 14 per cent, while the figure was 15 per cent for Britain. An opportunity exists, however, to improve this situation. The "passively tolerant" section of our society amounts to 50 per cent, compared to 39 per cent in the EU and Britain. There is an opportunity, therefore, to encourage "passively tolerant" members of society to become "actively tolerant" towards emigrants. And the Monitoring Centre noted that this was the group most open to political persuasion.
Public attitudes will not be changed by a handful of public speeches, however. A thoughtful and sustained campaign will be required to alter mindsets that regard an influx of new blood as generating problems, rather than opportunities. In that regard, the call by SIPTU for a scrapping of migrant work permits - a form of bonded labour status - in favour of visas, should be given serious consideration. The future of this and other European societies lies in diversity and equality. And the more forcefully politicians, Churchmen and the leaders of civil society emphasise that fact, the better.